Individualist or part of a body?
As I was considering some of the changes I’ve seen in my life I’ve seen an unnerving thing. In some ways I suppose it might seem to be a good thing, even be something desired. However, the more I’ve considered it, the more I’ve seen how it’s caused much more harm in many ways than good.
For most of my life I’ve been told stories of the “rugged individualism” that built this great and mighty nation we live in. I’ve been told it’s this self-reliance in social, economic and religious affairs, and the belief in the importance of the individual and personal independence as part of society as a whole that has made our nation so great.
An individual is a specific object in a collection or a single person in society. In the fields of statistics and metaphysics, individual means “indivisible,” typically describing any numerically singular thing. We usually use it to mean “a single person” where individuality is the state or quality of being a person separate from the collection of other persons and possessing his or her own needs, goals and desires.
What I find so unnerving is I’ve noticed a decided shift in emphasis from being an individual object (person) in a collection (of people) favoring the advancement of the whole (society) to an individualism that no longer considers the whole — the collection of society. I’ve noticed the shift to being an individual that is taking part in society yet is attempting to further his or her own interests, demanding the right to serve his or her own interests, without taking the interests or rights of society into consideration. One only has to follow the newscasts and headlines to see how true this has become.
We see it in almost every aspect of life. We see it in the attitudes and actions of our children, who no longer fear anything because there are no consequences for their actions. We see it in our politicians who by and large do as they please for the same reason; there are few or no consequences. It’s in professional sports where an individual is touted as being the most important part of the team, yet take away the team and the individual would be hard pressed to be of much use at all.
As Christians, we shouldn’t be shocked at this behavior; it’s foretold and described in Scrip- tures: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5
It’s the last part of verse 5 that troubles me. While we are each individuals, important and have input, (see Ephesians 4:16) the individual isn’t paramount in church life. The church is described as a body and not just any body but the body of Christ. As such, the individualism of the world has no place in the church and is rightly described in verse 5 as something to turn away from.
Perhaps we’ve over emphasized individual experience; “individual” salvation (which is true), “individual” walks (true also), “individual” prayer, “individual” worship, the list goes on to a point where we no longer function as a body but gather as a bunch of individual Christians thus unable to truly relate to or function as a body; thus the contentions and strife in so many churches.
Things to consider in helping decide if we are “rugged individualist” Christians or part of a body: When was the last time you approached leadership to volunteer to ____ (fill in the blank), or do you sit back waiting to be asked? When was the last time you shared with leadership what you see the Lord doing or do you wait to be asked your opinion? When was the last time you were asked to do something — no matter how small — and you decided to do it your own way instead of doing it as asked? When was the last time you talked with leadership without them coming to you?
••• Editor’s note: Charlie Newman is pastor of Avoca Christian Church. To contact him, e-mail pastor@ pastorcharlie.net, or write in care of The Times at prtnews@nwaonline.com or P.O. Box 25, Pea Ridge, AR 72751.